Osprey’s informative book of “The Chieftain Main Battle Tank 1965 – 2003” (Osprey New Vanguard) helped me recall many of the details I had forgotten since working on them.
I worked on this 54 tonne monster for most of my time in the regular army. I was on the second training course they had developed when I converted from “B” vehicles (Landrovers and lorries) to “A” vehicles (tanks, scout cars and personnel carriers) and I managed to learn a lot more by gaining experience with time.
I worked on this 54 tonne monster for most of my time in the regular army. I was on the second training course they had developed when I converted from “B” vehicles (Landrovers and lorries) to “A” vehicles (tanks, scout cars and personnel carriers) and I managed to learn a lot more by gaining experience with time.
I worked in 4 Armoured Workshops repairing the power packs, then moved on to the Forward Repair Group (FRG) going out and fitting the new power packs into the tanks when they broke down on exercises. I was then posted to the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards as a corporal in “B” Squadron Light Aid Detachment (LAD) where I repaired them on a daily basis. Every squadron had a LAD of REME personnel that fixed the vehicles.
The Power Pack
The L60 power pack was designed by Rolls Royce and built under licence by British Leyland. The first engines were grossly under-powered, only at 450bhp, and whilst I was in the army were upgraded several times, eventually to 650bhp. They were also designed to run on any fuel after adjustments had been made but we never attempted this during my time.
The Power Pack
The L60 power pack was designed by Rolls Royce and built under licence by British Leyland. The first engines were grossly under-powered, only at 450bhp, and whilst I was in the army were upgraded several times, eventually to 650bhp. They were also designed to run on any fuel after adjustments had been made but we never attempted this during my time.
Above can be seen a power pack out of the tank with its radiators up. When you had changed all the attachments, i.e. radiators, fans and all the pipes from a broken down pack onto a new engine, it was possible to run the power pack outside the tank as oil and water were self-contained within the power pack and only fuel had to be connected. The power pack was sitting in a specially made frame in the workshop. The engine was deafening if you ran it up without the exhausts fitted but you could walk round it checking all parts before sending it out completed. Out on exercise all that had to be done was to take out the broken-down pack and replace it with a repaired one from the workshop.
There was also a 3 cylinder Coventry Climax auxiliary engine fitted on the left wall of the engine compartment to provide power for the turret equipment and to help start up the main engine.
The Main Gun
The main armament was a 120 mm gun, with a rifled barrel which was extremely accurate and could fire whilst on the move as well as when static. In the early days it had a half inch ranging machine gun alongside the barrel which was later scrapped when optical computerised ranging was introduced. REME fitters did help the crews to “bomb up” when we were on the firing ranges and the tank held at least 60 shells and bag charges for the main gun.
There was a crew of four, a commander in the top turret, a gunner who sat below the commander to the right of the main gun and a loader/radio operator who was to the left of the main gun. The driver who was in the front beneath the barrel drove the tank in a reclined position when hatches were closed. REME used to drive the tanks when they were short of crew on the firing ranges.
There was also a 3 cylinder Coventry Climax auxiliary engine fitted on the left wall of the engine compartment to provide power for the turret equipment and to help start up the main engine.
The Main Gun
The main armament was a 120 mm gun, with a rifled barrel which was extremely accurate and could fire whilst on the move as well as when static. In the early days it had a half inch ranging machine gun alongside the barrel which was later scrapped when optical computerised ranging was introduced. REME fitters did help the crews to “bomb up” when we were on the firing ranges and the tank held at least 60 shells and bag charges for the main gun.
There was a crew of four, a commander in the top turret, a gunner who sat below the commander to the right of the main gun and a loader/radio operator who was to the left of the main gun. The driver who was in the front beneath the barrel drove the tank in a reclined position when hatches were closed. REME used to drive the tanks when they were short of crew on the firing ranges.
Driving the Tank
When the call went out for “Bluebell drivers” (REME personnel) wanted on night gunnery exercises, we reported to our troop Sergeant and were allocated a vehicle to drive. When the barrel is facing forward, the driver’s seat is reasonably easy to get in. If the barrel is locked to the rear, you had to contort yourself to get in.
You lowered yourself onto the seat, operated the orange seat lowering levers either side and your seat dropped and the back rest went back and a head rest came up. You closed the hatch and locked it down and when you lowered your head onto the head rest you could tell this was how the tank should be driven. All the instruments were in front of you, gear indicator gauge, rpm indicator, speedometer and oil gauge. The feet supports were at the right angle for your heels to fit comfortably in and you could see through the periscope for driving forward. The gear change box was a small round box on the left side with a motorcycle type pedal which was flicked up to change up through the gears and pressed down to go back down through the gears. There were 6 forward gears and six reverse gears. The top speed of the tank was approximately 35 mph, forward or backwards, steering with left and right levers instead of a steering wheel.
When you drove the tank looking through the hatch you had better visibility but could not see any of your gauges and the foot controls felt all wrong. You also had to be very careful you did not bounce your face off the hatch rim if you missed a gear change.
The tracks were made up with 96 links on each side with rubber pads bolted into each link. This was to reduce the damage to main roads and did help maintain traction on icy surfaces. Track bashing was the crew’s job, to either adjust the tension of the tracks or even change tracks that had stretched past their usefulness. This task was labour intensive and not looked forward to.
When the call went out for “Bluebell drivers” (REME personnel) wanted on night gunnery exercises, we reported to our troop Sergeant and were allocated a vehicle to drive. When the barrel is facing forward, the driver’s seat is reasonably easy to get in. If the barrel is locked to the rear, you had to contort yourself to get in.
You lowered yourself onto the seat, operated the orange seat lowering levers either side and your seat dropped and the back rest went back and a head rest came up. You closed the hatch and locked it down and when you lowered your head onto the head rest you could tell this was how the tank should be driven. All the instruments were in front of you, gear indicator gauge, rpm indicator, speedometer and oil gauge. The feet supports were at the right angle for your heels to fit comfortably in and you could see through the periscope for driving forward. The gear change box was a small round box on the left side with a motorcycle type pedal which was flicked up to change up through the gears and pressed down to go back down through the gears. There were 6 forward gears and six reverse gears. The top speed of the tank was approximately 35 mph, forward or backwards, steering with left and right levers instead of a steering wheel.
When you drove the tank looking through the hatch you had better visibility but could not see any of your gauges and the foot controls felt all wrong. You also had to be very careful you did not bounce your face off the hatch rim if you missed a gear change.
The tracks were made up with 96 links on each side with rubber pads bolted into each link. This was to reduce the damage to main roads and did help maintain traction on icy surfaces. Track bashing was the crew’s job, to either adjust the tension of the tracks or even change tracks that had stretched past their usefulness. This task was labour intensive and not looked forward to.
Having read the Osprey book I now appreciate the problems we faced trying to keep these tanks on the road. They mentioned a major failure of the tank during its early days and I was working on them when this occurred. One of the regiments we supported lost 40 of its 45 tanks whilst on exercise and we had scientists over from England investigating the breakdowns. It also meant us working 12 hour shifts to rebuild the power packs and when I transferred to the FRG I had to go out and fit the power packs into the tanks.
My time with the Irish regiment 5th Inniskillings is fondly remembered spending much of my 2 years on exercises with my squadron. When we were radioed by a tank requesting assistance you always arrived at their location and found the engine covers up and cans of beer in a hole in the ground ready for consumption. Pouring water on the mud covering the cans kept the beer cold due to evaporation. These beers were shared with us and much appreciated when the job was finished.
Barry
My time with the Irish regiment 5th Inniskillings is fondly remembered spending much of my 2 years on exercises with my squadron. When we were radioed by a tank requesting assistance you always arrived at their location and found the engine covers up and cans of beer in a hole in the ground ready for consumption. Pouring water on the mud covering the cans kept the beer cold due to evaporation. These beers were shared with us and much appreciated when the job was finished.
Barry
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